Broken: A Pokemon Black Nuzlocke
by jack.o.dragons
Summary: What happens when your past never lets you go? When no matter what you do, your shadows always follow you. Will you become the hero everyone desires, or will take revenge and be the villain everyone fears? Unova is going to face it's greatest threat. An enemy, back to finish what he started in the worst way. A war, unlike any other, and in it's shadows are the Broken.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction**

I can still hear them, running, screaming, bleeding, dying. People being buried under piles of rubble and snow. I can see the fires, as everything burned in front of me. All the people I knew, all the memories I made, burned up in one horrible day. I can smell the horrid, putrid stench of burning corpses, as they were obliterated in a single blast. I can feel the blood running down my hands as I pulled the people dying out, from underneath their demolished homes. I live it almost every day, and every day I have to remind myself that no matter what I do, they're never coming back. I was one of the few to come out alive, one of the Broken. I survived the Sinnoh Event.

I lived with my mom and dad in a plain house on lake Acuity. Nothing special, just a two-story wooden shed a few yards from the lakefront. Some days, if the forest was forgiving, we could see straight onto the water and right to the other side. It always snowed on this side of the mountain, but the lake never froze over. Some say it was the power of Uxie, the legendary pokemon of the lake bed, that kept it from ever freezing over with its psychic power. The flowing lake was supposed to keep the mind clear, and allowed new ideas to flow and be nurtured. I always thought it had something to do with being so close to the mountain, having underground volcanic streams keeping the water warm enough that it won't freeze. But whatever the reason, it didn't keep me from getting out of bed every morning and taking a long walk on the shore line. I always walked barefoot and in the only pair of shorts I had. Not for any grand reason, just that they were the easiest to put on and the most comfortable. Also because I was too lazy to put on anything heavy.

It was always refreshing in the morning. The crisp air and smell of pine needles relaxed me on even my worst days. The quiet sounds of the lake running along the shore, coupled with the silent chatter of the Snorunt and Absol, brought me down to Earth and made me think of everything that could remain as still as the snow. The lake seemed to know everything that was peaceful, and it worked hard to keep it that way. Anytime the lake was troubled it seemed to affect us all. I had never seen it happen before, so I never felt distressed.

The pokemon on the lake always had something to debate about. After the emergence of a talking meowth back in Kanto, most pokemon picked up the trade and have been teaching it to their children as the generations went on as a way to communicate with people without the need of telepathy. It allowed from more pokemon to voice their opinion to people, without making everyone run for the hills because a something was inside their heads. It also did away with people coming along claiming they could hear the voices of pokemon, since most of them were frauds and ended up taking a lot of people's money on the hopes of knowing why their skitty kept scratching them. What the pokemon actually had to say, on the other hand, wasn't always interesting, but it was nice to hear what they thought and the experiences they shared. Even though it was often the same thing.

It seemed to me that the most relevant topic among them was the catching of pokemon. Some of them would talk about how they thought it was atrocious, that it reduced them into mindless fighting machines. Inside a pokeball, a pokemon couldn't go anywhere. They were forced to follow the trainer that managed to catch them. Those who did, however were usually shot down by the others who were completely fine with it. They found that being caught not only gave them food and shelter, but also said that even though they could fight each other, trainers made battles a much more organized and safe environment. As far as freedom of travel, a pokemon would travel to places they could never dream in the hands of a good trainer. I honestly couldn't care what you called it, but it was nice to hear that even pokemon couldn't decide which end of the spectrum they were on, just like people.

My mother was the coolest person around, more literally than figuratively. She was the Snowpoint City gym leader, and and her position on the job was obvious by the fact that she never wore a single garment of winter clothing even though we were in the coldest place in all of Sinnoh. I would think my same form of immunity to cold stemmed from her, except that temperature resilience wasn't hereditary in people, so who knows. But for whatever reason we found it comfortable to dress for summer in a place where it didn't exist. Besides the act of defying cold weather, she would sometimes let me borrow a few of her pokemon for a mock battle. I would always fight with Glaceon and she always used her Abomasnow. Glaceon was a riot to fight with, telling jokes and talking down his opponents, despite the obvious size difference. The others she had, especially Glalie, were always a little intense. They fought like every battle was for life or death and they had every reason to win. Mom would always beat me of course, but she was cool enough to make at least look like a real fight. She would always rant on afterwards about focus and how she was 'fired up'. Honestly, she seemed more like a fire type trainer rather than a calm and diligent ice type.

My father, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. He would be slow out of bed, and very cranky around breakfast. But by some miracle, around lunch, he would be bouncing off the walls like a buneary. Despite being the only one of us who couldn't handle the cold, he would always be yelling about how he was 'ready to go' and was 'burning for a a good fight'. I swear he had to have been photosynthetic or something. The more time he spent in the sun, the more he started to run around and ask random people for a battle. There were days when he would travel into the blizzard on route 217, just for a decent fight. In a sense, I guess that's how the two were alike. They both had so much energy and not enough hours in the day to put it somewhere. But in all honesty, you would think a guy who was champion of the Sinnoh League and a gym leader would have a bit more control.

I often asked my mom why she never became the champion. There were days when the two would have a battle and it seemed like Mom was going to win. She never did, but to me it felt like she let him. But no matter how many times I asked I always got the same response. "If I wanted to be the champion, I would. But I like not having to travel at the drop of the hat. It's fun to battle trainers but if I lose I don't lose my job as well. All I do is give them a slap on the back and hand out a badge. I have the choice of letting someone win! Besides, I like it here in Snowpoint, and let's face it, your dad is terrible with ice types."

My parents weren't around all the time. There were days when they would have to leave to battle some trainer who had come prancing around for a badge or had challenged the Sinnoh league. At those points, they would run off to battle him/her and I would be alone in the snow. One time we almost had a huge scare with Dad when this one trainer came in with level 70 Rhyperior. But by the time dad got to the league, we found out that was it. Just a Rhyperior and nothing else. I saw the battle recording Dad took and man that guy got creamed. It took two turns with Maxie, my dad's lucario, and it was down for the count. My dad didn't even send out Ren, his empoleon and leader of the team, and that trainer was sent packing. But even on those days, I never minded when they were gone. All the wild pokemon kept me company, and we would spend the day just talking about what we were had done that day or sharing our stories. In fact I almost felt a little more relaxed without having to deal with them yelling at me to get my school work done or help them train.

That's what my life was. Clear skies and Snovers till the end of time. Maybe a quick run through the caves if I felt like a safari was due, but I could always find time to lay down in the snow, and nap like a Snorlax. At least, that's how it should have been.

I remember it like it was yesterday. No one had any idea why it happened, but the fact of the matter was it must have happened over night. Lake Acuity had frozen over. Never in my life have I ever seen an event similar to this, but the the facts were there. The lake was covered in a six inch sheet of solid ice. Half the city had showed up that morning to see it and everyone took turns walking on the ice. There was no illusion, it was frozen solid, and we all had a bad feeling in the pit of our stomachs. After hours of constant deliberating about what had happened to the lake, everyone went home. My mother and father didn't say a thing as we walked to the house. Once inside, they both sat down in the living room, neither of them speaking. I went straight to my room, trying to wrap my head around all of this. For my entire life, that lake has stayed thawed, and now, in my fourteenth year it decides to freeze. My parents have never been this quiet. Just sitting there in the living room, thinking to themselves. We should have seen for what it was, a disaster. Around noon the earthquakes started hit.

The whole house shook, as if an army of Hippowdon were stampeding underneath us. The panels in my room began to splinter, tearing away from each other like they were making a new window. The floor was breaking apart underneath my feet. Floorboards were falling out piece by piece until I could get a clear view of my mom and dad rushing out of the house. I stood paralyzed as a giant chunk of my room fell out, swallowing up my bed and forcing me to have my back up against the wall. I had to move, quick. As I carefully stepped out of my bedroom, I got a clear idea of the state we were in. A giant chasm was appearing in the middle of the house and I could see right through it, all the way to the living room and the darkness below. My heart was pounding out my chest, to the point I could barely breath. I turned the corner to the stairs where I was confronted with another drop. The stairs had broken off leaving me with a six foot gap to the bottom of the stairs and a land of sharp things in the middle. With the only other way being a deathtrap, I had to break the railing and climb down from the top of the stairs. The house was still shaking as I managed to squirm my way down onto the floor. I could barely keep myself upright as I turned in the direction of the door.

I ran fast as I could, right out of the house, and almost falling to my death in the chasm that continued to open up behind me. Once outside with my parents I watched as everything began to rip itself in half. With them I saw the house slowly break apart as the world kept rumbling. The constant shaking was making my stomach turn, and my mind was trying its hardest to make since of any of this. As we watched the house get destroyed a second wave hit, this time taking the mountain with it. All the snow on Mount Coronet appeared to be falling straight for us in a massive avalanche. "We got to get everyone out of here!" my dad yelled over the thunder of the earth, releasing his Onix, Caesar. Upon release, Caesar was rendered immobile the second as he saw what we were up against. I have never seen an Onix afraid in my entire life, and it's a sight that can suck the hope right out of you. We were all in a state of complete panic, and my body felt like it was going to collapse in the snow. For the first time I can remember, I felt cold. Caesar slowly turned to face us. "What the hell is happening!?" He asked Dad. I couldn't even find the words to describe this disaster.

We had to move, and fast! "Caesar, you have got to get us to Snowpoint, or else a lot of people are going to die!" My dad shouted. I could barely hear him over the pounding vibrations of the ground and the cries of the fleeing Sneasel, but Caesar got the idea and we all climbed on his back. He rushed us far away from the lake, riding along the edge of the big chasm. We fled straight through the forest and right to Snowpoint city. The last thing I remember of that house was it finally breaking apart for good and falling into the black depths. The last thing to fall was the front door, before the whole thing was swallowed up. Caesar was right..

What the hell was going on?

"Candice, go to the surrounding villages and get everyone out! I'm going to head to the routes and make sure all the trainers get out safely. We got about 5 minutes before that avalanche hits route 217, and by that point everyone needs to be gone! Let's hope that quake didn't hit them as hard as us." My dad said to my mother as we raced through the forest. It was the first time I ever heard him sound afraid. Every pokemon in the surrounding area had the same idea we had, and were fleeing to the highlands beyond the lake. Every vein in my body felt like it was going to burst, and my breaths came short and painful.

When we got to Snowpoint we saw that no one had been spared the damage. Houses were in shambles, the Pokemon Center had its roof collapsed in, and the chasm in our house was on the verge of splitting the town in half. As we dismounted Caesar, my mom grabbed me by my shoulders. "Jack, try to help anyone you can. Caesar, you too. We don't have a lot of time and we got to get as many people as we can out of here. Please, Arceus keep you safe!" With a final hug, they took off. Dad on his Staraptor, Julie, and mom on Abomasnow.

Thankfully most of the city had seen the avalanche and were already in the midst of evacuation. Though despite the best efforts people were still trapped under the rubble. Caesar and I did the best we could but it was just too much. It seemed that under every house someone was dead. People had their heads smashed or impaled by the floorboards. My hands were covered in blood before we got to the second house and I couldn't take it. I had were points where I would break down, my heart would start racing again, so much that I couldn't breath. Once in the midst of pulling half a person from underneath their crushed homes, my knees gave out and I started to puke. The sight of his entrails being dragged along the ground behind him was too much for me to take. My head felt fuzzy, and every part of me wanted to run away. I felt like if I ran far enough it would all turn back the way it was. Bruno was the only one who was able to keep me together. "If you don't keep moving, there will only be more of them. Is that what you want!? STAND UP, JACK!" I had to force myself past the blood, despite the urge to just run and leave anyone trapped to die. I had to keep going.

I was carrying two little girls out of a crumbling Pokemon Center with Caesar when I saw them running. An army of trainers on the back of any pokemon that could carry them, and leading the pack was my mom and dad. They were all running, fleeing from something we couldn't see. Dad was screaming something to me but I could barely hear it over the rumble of the earth. "Ja... r..n." As he got closer I was finally able to hear what he was trying to say, and why. The avalanche had hit 217. We were out of time. "Jack, RUN!"

"Caesar, we gotta go!" I screamed, rushing over to him with the two girls still in hand. Everyone who hadn't already left was now running up to the highlands. The highlands were a flat plain that ran all the way to northern cliffs. The only thing in between us and it was a quarter of a mile long, forty degree incline from the city to it. In the past, once a quake had been predicted, the whole town would grab what they could and head up the hill. Once there the steep incline would slow down any avalanche that came, and anyone who made the climb would be safe. But this quake had come without a warning, and now people would have to climb in the midst of an avalanche.

We raced us up the hill, zipping past people as Caesar climbed. Once on top we got a clear view of the state we were in. Hundreds of people were going to be trapped as soon as it hit. The trainers were fine, flying to the top or riding pokemon till they finally were safe. But those without were trapped, the avalanche was about to take 217 and from there the city and the hill. There was nothing we could do. If we went down to help we would only be trapped ourselves. It hurt to watch people scream in terror, pleading for help, and me just standing there unable to do anything. Me, my parents, and every other trainer and civilian that made it up stood their as the avalanche hit. I felt like I lost a piece of my soul. Every person on that hill died because we weren't able to do anything.

"Caesar, return." Dad said. He sounded completely defeated, just like the rest of us. Despite our best efforts, people had died and we couldn't stop it. "Jack, just remember, we did the best we could." Mom said, looking more enraged than upset. "When I find out who caused this I'm going to beat their face into the mountain side." I was completely put off guard. My mother honestly thought that someone was behind an earthquake. "Candice, what are you talking about?" My dad said, and I agreed with him. What was my mom smoking to think that a natural event was caused by some random person. "Think Michael!" She shouted. "Lake Acuity being frozen over. Earthquakes happening for no reason. Any of this sound the least bit familiar." My dad's face hardened as Mom finished her rant. He was agreeing with her and I was still sitting there dumbfounded

With that, another monstrous wave of shaking anything that hadn't fallen over before was on the ground now. Trees, people, even the pokemon were falling over from its magnitude. But out of all of them, this one was different. When the quake finished all of it had stopped, not even a distant rumble could be heard. But with the silence, came a sickly red glow. Everyone was bathed in it, even the shadows radiated in an angry bright violate. Like Magikarp on command, everyone in the city looked up to see what was causing this.

The sky was gone.

No sun, no moon, not even a cloud or star. It was blank, and the purple light came from the top of Mount Coronet. Some say the light could be seen from every nation, and others claim they never saw it, but there was no one who missed it in Snowpoint. A gaping chasm in the middle of the sky shined bright over the entire region of Sinnoh. We all stared at it in awe, as if we thought if we stared long enough everything would go back to normal. It only gave us a clearer view of the destruction that was descending on us. From the Chasm came the Legends, Dialga, master of time, Palkia, master of space, and Giratina, master of reverse reality.

Who could have done this? What evil would release the gods of Sinnoh upon us? My whole body felt weak. For the third time today I found myself collapsed in terror. I couldn't even find the strength to stay on my knees. It took every ounce of will I had to look up and witness their descent. "Why am I always right?" My mom said through her teeth. Dad couldn't even find the words, but they both climbed onto Julie and took off.

In response to the appearance of the most powerful beings in Sinnoh, every member of the league had flown into the air. While a few could be seen hovering in defense of their city, most were heading straight for Mount Coronet. All the way to Eterna city we could see them fly off, but I felt not a shred of hope, or anything for that matter. I was empty.

"We're all going to die." I said, and that's how I felt. Without something to go for, some idea that we had even a chance of getting out of here alive, I gave up. Everyone in Sinnoh knew of the Legends' power, and as we watched Dialga and Palkia soar onto the region, we felt too helpless to do anything.

"Everyone, we have to move." It was some old hiker, he looked just as empty as I was. I could look him straight in the eye and I could see nothing, and yet still he wanted to march on. "What's the point." I said. "If we move we'll only delay the inevitable. Sinnoh is going to burn down." I was so sure of myself, like I knew everything that was going to happen. I took another look into his eyes, and deep behind the fear and the emptiness I saw a fire. He looked right back at me and said, "Not today, friend. If we are going to live, we'll have to hide out in the caves, which means getting a little close to the mountain. But if we make it in time we can hide out till this all settles down." His will was infectious, for a moment I could almost feel like we had a chance. The best I could do in response was chuckle.

He was right.

Despite my every urge to just accept death, that hiker forced me to feel as though I needed to do something. "You're right." I said, finding the will to get on my feet. "We gotta go, but we have to go on foot. Those things are bound to see an army of pokemon racing across the country, and we have to go now." In agreement every trainer recalled their pokemon, and we made our way to 216.

The endless blizzard that surrounded this side of the mountain made seeing difficult, and the harsh winds drowned out any sound. We all moved slowly, step by step to avoid being seen by anything unwanted. The snow came up to my knees and its sheer cold made my legs numb. It was hard to move, and even harder to breathe. With every inhale it felt like I was sucking in a foot of snow, but we kept trudging. We were halfway to 216 when one of them found us. We couldn't see its face, just the twenty foot shadow that loomed above us. My heart stopped as it hit the ground with a giant thud. No moved a muscle or dared to make a sound. For the longest time it seemed like the Earth had stood still. We could have sat there forever, no one moving or saying a thing, but someone moved. I don't know who it was but even over the blizzard we could hear it. The unmistakable crunch of the snow, and with it the roar of a Legend. "Everyone, get to the forest!" I yelled as all of us ran for cover and our lives.

We rushed through the forest, closer and closer to the mountain at speeds I would have never thought possible. There was no turning or stopping, the forest was too dense, we just plowed through. Desperate to get away from the Legend. Inside the dense woods I was blind to the world around me, but I could hear it. The screams of those unable to run fast enough, the tremendous roar of the Legend. Sprinting at our limits, those in front of us almost made it to the route, but it cut us off. It happened in a blur, but one second people were running for their lives and the next they were flying through the air, sliced in half. I couldn't see which one it was but I had a guess. Whatever it was it was moving so fast that it was taking people out in an instant. Blasts of energy appeared to be appearing from nothing. Leaping over the fields of bloody corpses and piles of ash I got the idea. Whatever it was, it wasn't moving fast, it was pausing time, and striking when it played back. I just hoped I was wrong.

I almost made it too, but just before I could get there the ground in front of me exploded. Dozens of trainers in front of me we blasted to bits in front of me. I was thrown back what felt like a mile, slamming my back on a tree. The shock had knocked the wind right out of me, and possibly broken a few of my ribs. A stabbing pain shot across my chest. In front of me was a crater of blood and limbs. The arm of a trainer clutching a broken pokeball sat only a few feet from me. People at the edge were screaming in pain as her legs were blown off, exposing the inner flesh and bone. I tried to get up but with every move my chest felt like it was being ripped apart. Blood was dripping from my mouth. I had internal bleeding. If this got worse my lungs would fill with blood and I would suffocate.

Ahead of all of it, I got my first clear view of the Legend. It stood tall in the snow, it's dark blue skin making it appear as though it was born in the red light. The steel like panels protruding from its skin made it glow as it reflected the world around it. 17 feet tall, and one of the first beings to have been born.

Dialga.

I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Nothing could describe what I was seeing. It felt as though I truly in the presence of a God. A creature, who with the flick of the wrist could delete me from existence. I guess I was. This pokemon preceded the existence of the earth, it was a monster. I wasn't scared though, I was beyond that. There comes a point when you know that your chances are next to none, but the way you are going to die is still unclear. It's a feeling that can only be felt on your last day. The blood that engulfed the forest around me only furthered my awe in its absolute power. Standing tall, staring us down as if it dared us to stand against it. I wanted to run but the blood starting to fill my mouth prevented me from taking a step. If I moved I was bound to die from the bleeding, and if I stayed I would only be obliterated.

 _"Jack…...RUN!"_

If I was going to die it was going to be on my feet. We had come all this way just to have a chance and we weren't going to stop now until we made it. Despite the pain and the blood I got on my feet and I sprinted. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Dialga, and it was watching me. It's like it wanted me to run, to make it more of a challenge to him. The pain in my chest was slowly numbing down, probably due to adrenaline as I ran through 216. The high cliffs surrounding the route made me feel like I was a fish in the barrel. Running through I saw the cave, trainers had made it through and were chanting me and the others to move faster. We were in a 100 yard dash right to the opening when it struck again. Dialga was attacking the hillside, knocking down boulders down into the valley. It was going to bury us underneath a pile of rock. It was toying with us, it wanted to see us try to live. It wanted to test our will.

"WHY THE HELL IS THIS HAPPENING?!" I screamed.

The rocks hit the ground around me with a heavy thud. I tried as could to dodge the falling boulders but It wouldn't let me. Dialga flashed through and fired them right at us. I had no chance of escaping, and one of them got to me. My right arm had been crushed under a massive stone. The pain was making my vision go white and I was screaming for all my life. From the elbow down every bone was broken, it was dead, no chance of revival. None of them were going to help. They were all too terrified to help me. Now I knew how those trapped on the hillside felt. To be screaming for help and no one even lifting a finger. I wanted to live, I was desperately trying to lift the damn boulder off of my arm. I couldn't even make the thing budge but I didn't stop. I wasn't going to die here! I was going to make it!

"Scizor, Steel Wing!"

A flash of pain, and I blacked out.

When I woke up I was inside the cave, and it was chaos. Whomever brought me inside had leaned up against the side of the cave and I'm thankful he did. The cave was shaking like crazy, dripping stalactites and throwing Zubats into a frenzy. Everyone was running around trying not to get impaled but to no avail. Several people were already dead, pieces of rock protruding from their chests and from their heads. I tried to get up and help some of them but I couldn't feel my arm. I didn't have an arm. Who ever had used that Scizor had cut it off, just past the bicep. The stump was covered in a blue jacket, tied around the shoulder and a few feet above the sight. The blood in my mouth had gone away, must not have been internal, but now I had a new issue. I had no right arm.

One handed, I got to my feet and got a good look at the situation. People were running over people, screaming at the top of their lungs, clawing at one side of the wall. The only one who wasn't going crazy in the panic was one guy in a green T-shirt and jeans running towards me. "OK, sleepy head," he grinned. "We gotta get out of here."

Grabbing my left hand he dragged me past the group of people and deeper into the caves. I was completely lost, but I didn't have the energy to fight back so I let him drag me through the caves. The pathway from Snowpoint to Eterna city was a straight path through the caves and out. But the path had so many branching caverns and roadways that it was near impossible to find your way unless you knew where you were going. I could only trust that this guy knew the way, because the longer we stayed in this shaking cavern, the greater our chances of getting impaled. After an eternity the shaking finally stopped and we entered a calmer section of the caves. At that point he stopped and let go of my arm. Blood was starting to seep through the jacket on my arm I decided to ask some questions.

"You were the one who cut my arm off, weren't you?" I asked. He nodded his head and proceeded to sit down with his back to the cave wall. "Yep, that was me. Scizor insisted on it and I hope for your sake that he was right." He almost sounded proud of that statement, as though it gained him some kind of authority. "Why did your Scizor want to save me?" I asked. What compelled his pokemon to insist that I was worth saving? He laughed at this. "Scizor didn't just want to save you. He was looking out for his pride. He considered the incident as an insult to his abilities. So when he saw you trapped, he decided that if he saved you his pride would be restored. You're welcome, by the way." I almost laughed out loud at this. Here comes a guy who says I was only saved out of convenience and pride and he wants a "thank you". I had one last question. "What was going on back the shaking and the nut jobs?" At this his face became stern and frustrated. "Dialga wasn't going to leave us alone. He wanted us dead and was blasting the cave with everything. The nut jobs were those who didn't know their way in the caves and were trying to dig their way out. By now they probably have been crushed. Once again, you're welcome."

With that unpleasant note, I sat down as well and for the longest time we stayed silent. If one listened hard enough, he could hear the screams. Every person and pokemon being ripped apart or crushed in the legend's wrath. It was silent, but the noise pierced through my heart like a knife. The Zubats had all left this area, most likely so confused by the noise that they fled the caves for the outside. Neither of us said anything. We just listened to the sounds, and felt the pain.

"I want to see what's happened." He finally said to me. "I don't want to wait anymore. I want to know what's going on out there." I had to agree with him. Sitting down and imagining what was going on was torture. We needed to know. "If we go deeper in, we can follow the paths up the mountain." I said. "Maybe we can find a ledge and get a good vantage point." With a slight nod, he helped me up and we went deep into the caves.

The pathway up Mount Coronet was long and confusing, full of false paths and fog. It was completely empty. Not a single pokemon, or a hiker; There was nothing. A hole had been blasted out in the ceiling, too high for us to reach. Several times, we saw a group of people, buried under piles of rock from whatever war had been waged. The sounds grew louder and louder as I climbed higher through the caves, and at times the noise sounded like it was right above us. The echo beat through our chests as if the world was being ripped apart. The higher we climbed the worse it got, until the roars of the legends seemed to come from the walls themselves. It just grew louder and louder until we couldn't stand it. Our ears were deafened by the constant, echoing roar.

And then it stopped.

We had no explanation, no reasoning, just a sudden and complete silence. For a moment we thought we'd gone deaf. My fear had mingled with my curiosity. Was it over? What else could there be to end this fight? Further we climbed through the various paths in the mountain, until we saw it . Daylight. The cave had opened up onto a small ledge a few thousand feet in the air, but it was enough to see it all. Sinnoh was in flames.

The red glow was gone, and was replaced with an orange radiance from the earth. We had appeared on the opposite side from where we came, so we could only imagine the state it was in. This side needed an imagination to believe. Palkia had distorted the entire area into an horror flick. Cities were upside down, chunks of earth looked like it had been liquefied, and the whole thing was blanketed in silence. Palkia lay dead in a pool of its own blood, flowing from a gash in its neck. Dialga was nowhere in sight, probably on the other side of the mountain, but we didn't care. Everything was destroyed, and no one could have lived through this. It all seemed like it was on purpose, that they planned everything they did until the death. They knew where those people in the mountain where, they drew us into the caves so they could pick us off easier. My head was getting light from just the idea that any of this had a purpose.

 _Any of this sound familiar_.

Who was behind this? Who could have been so bold to destroy an entire region?

The only other one I couldn't see was Giratina. He hadn't descended the mountain with the other two when it started. My legs gave out from underneath me. Was there more of this? Could it still be alive, biding its time to kill any stragglers? I didn't want to know, I just wanted it to believe that I could wake up from this nightmare.

"We should join them." He said walking closer and closer to the edge. "It'll be quick and easy, we can join them." I couldn't move, I was almost ready to agree with the man. "Come on, we can fall together." I looked at him in horror. He was right about to fall. I tried to pull him back with my right arm, but the stump was useless. "You can't just give up on everything!" I yelled. I didn't even know his name, yet I was so scared of being alone that I didn't want him to die. "I lost my family, my friends, even Scizor." He sounded so calm, even though he was about to jump. "Now, I can see them again." I watched him fall. My legs wouldn't let me move even an inch. I crawled to the spot where he fell and looked down. He had gone head first and I could see the scattered pieces of his brain as it scattered from his skull.

I was ready to puke. I had just watched so many people die in just a few hours, and now I can add one more to the list. My heart had stopped and my vision was starting to get blurry and I was ready to faint again. I held it back, all of it until all that was left was my anger. Someone had destroyed my home, and the possibility that it could keep going made me want to kill. If I was going to die, it would be staring death in the face. I wasn't going to take the easy way out, I was going to go out swinging for everyone.

I saw it all.

Every dead and mangled corpse that once was the league. Gym leaders without their arms, league members without their heads. A pool of blood and gore and in front of it all was my mom and dad and Giratina. All of them, dead.

Mom had no expression, as though she died without a single regret. She was still clutching a pokeball, but it was empty. Her eyes stared right at me but my attention was on her stomach, or lack thereof. A huge, bloody hole, with a straight view of the floor was in the middle of my mother. There was no chance that she was alive. Not a breath not a heart beat. My dad was crushed under a pillar, or at least part of him was. I had no idea where the rest of him was and I dared not look or try to find it. Giratina was watching it all, flat on it's stomach, with its mouth wide open.

In between the tears and heartache I found the strength to scream in anger. To want to beat the damned Legend till it was unrecognisable. Did it know what I went through to get here!? The things I had to see and feel!? It took everything from me, and now it just lays there with it's damned stupid expression! I hit it with every ounce of strength I could muster until I couldn't hit it anymore! I wanted to bring it back to life and beat with my bare hands! My knuckles were red and bloody and my stump blood was finally dripping through the jacket. The bastard didn't even have a scratch. I just felt like giving up there. I was alone.

 _"Are you…..done….having a…..tantrum?"_

I froze. Someone in here was still alive. I almost started crying again. I wasn't alone!

 _"Over…...here."_

I found her. Her blond hair was soaked in blood, and her signature black clothes were torn apart. The ornaments that she decorated her hair with were broken and scattered on the floor. She was missing part of her left arm and leg, exposing the shattered bone and shredded muscle. Her left eye was shut, but blood could be seen pouring from inside. She didn't move, and her breaths were so short you could barely see her chest move. I would have seen her has just another corpse if she hadn't spoke.

"Cynthia?"

 _"Hey there…...how's life?"_

I ran to her as fast as I could and I immediately started working on her arm and leg. I ripped apart the jacket and used it to tie up her arm and leg. "Jack….what are you….doing?" she said. "Don't speak." I said, in between my tears and awkwardly trying to stop the bleeding with one hand. "Talking will only use up your energy."

 _Sigh_

"Hey!" I choked. "Don't you dare die on me! Promise me you won't die!" I could barely keep myself together. The tears were running all over my face. I couldn't lose her, she was the only one left.

 _"I promise."_

It was three hours before the International Police found us. Cynthia were slipping in and out of consciousness at that point. I had wrapped my shirt around my arm, but since it was one handed the blood loss was quick. Thankfully, they had arrived in a medical chopper just in time to give us a lift out of there. As for the rest of Sinnoh, out of the six million people living on the island, less than one hundred survived. The whole nation had been quarantined off, allowing no entry in and out till they were able to account for all missing personnel. We were the last live ones they picked up. The rest of was a field of corpses, coating the streets in blood. I got a clear view of it from high in med-copter, and everything was burning to the ground. Palkia was being lifted by what appeared to be at least 20 helicopters out of the area. Dialga had it's face down in the water, it's body was in the middle of Oreburgh city, cut off again at the neck. I was now a part of an act of mass genocide, known later as "the Sinnoh Event". 23 civilians, 46 registered pokemon trainers, an ex-champion, and me.

July 27, 2198. The day Sinnoh died.

Cynthia and I were sent immediately to intensive care along with 17 other individuals. After weeks of of surgery and aesthetics induced comatose I woke up for the first time since the Event. Cynthia had to undergo a complete amputation of her arm and leg due to an inability for the attachment of any prosthetic, as well as the loss of her eye. My injuries were much cleaner, allowing for minimal surgery and the majority time for healing. After a month of psychiatric evaluation, I would be deported to Unova. I would have been released sooner, but I kept rambling on about how the whole thing was planned. They eventually convinced me I was crazy and that the whole thing was an accident caused by a rupture in space induced by Palkia. I was going to live with a host family in Nuvema town until I turned 18 and could live on my own.

Fours years later, that story, would begin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

I was completely alone. The world around me was shrouded in utter darkness, and I was left in the center to sleep. There were no floors, no walls, no ceiling; only the eternal void that separated me from all things living. The void was cold. So cold it stung my skin like a thousand claws scratching on my flesh. It felt as if the very space was draining my life away. Every breath I took was heavy, like there wasn't enough air, and each breath I took made my supply smaller. I was ready to go on, to the afterlife. To go to sleep and leave it all behind. The void welcomed me, it sought a way to end it peacefully. Just a slow slip to unconsciousness, and die. No struggle, just sleep.

But something wouldn't allow me to go. It started in my head with a burst of warmth and spread out across my body. An essence that shot through the void, breaking it apart and giving me strength. The feeling moved through my veins, granting my body life and concentrating into my chest. As it formed, it slowly pulled away from me until it was finally whole. A light, strong and bright, that gave way to a new beginning. It warmed my cold soul and gave me a desire to live. It brought old questions I buried deep in my head. _I have to know why they came for us. What made them want to destroy Sinnoh?_

From that light sprouted a bright, orange flame. Not destructive, but old and pleasant, like a morning sun. As the fire took shape, it began to move, dancing around me with a will of its own. I felt reborn, compelled to join the fire and dance along to the rhythm of the light. _Where did you come from, little light?_ I felt so calm with it beside me, and my body radiated in its loving heat. As I got closer to the flame, I reached out and held it in my hands. In my hands I could see the many things the flame knew. Stories of past kings, history of creation, all great things in the world were flickering inside. The fire was a pure and simple thing that was almost carefree. Like it could wait out the world and the whole universe before it wanted to move.

But the closer I held it, the more I felt a chill. The images inside started to change, and the flames orange light turned blood red. Images of joy were replaced with monsters, fighting amongst armies of men. I saw a world on fire, with everything inside being burnt to a crisp. In the flame I saw Sinnoh. My heart started racing, and my breaths came in short gasps. The fire was growing, and as it grew it burned hotter and its light became blinding to the point it almost burned my eyes. The fire swirled, solidifying into a white flesh, covered in a fluffy down. It looked soft, but its aura was the same as the red flame. Sinister, with a killing intent.

I was back in the forest, lying down with my back against the tree. A shooting pain ran across my chest with a vengeance. Everything around me was burning, coated in blood, just as it was before. I could hear them again. The cries of the dead, burning in the fires as it swirled around me. Their shadows reaching out at me from within the flame. Darkness fell upon the forest and I grew the will to look at its creator, and I saw what the flame had become. A pure white dragon, coated in the wretched flames. It stared me down, its electric blue eyes striking deep into my heart. I wanted to run, but I couldn't move, I could only watch as step after step the dragon drew closer.

" _See the truth. Realize what you can't understand!"_ Its monstrous roar felt like it was tearing my skull apart with a knife. It was going to kill me, it was going to burn me alive in the fires as it grew closer and closer! I started screaming for my life. I hoped for someone to save me. To get me away from this monster. "HELP ME! PLEASE ARCEUS, SOMEBODY HELP!" _"Stop your insufferable shouting! If you can't go past this, then you will DIE!"_ With its last roar it lunged at me, jaws open showing me it's giant teeth. It was going to eat me alive! "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The clock read 11:40 PM. Moonlight was streaming through the window, illuminating my bedroom with a calm blue glow. My sheets were soaking wet, without a doubt due to the nightmare I just had the liberty of experiencing. Ever since the school started talking about graduation, I've been having that same dream at least once a week. I was fine at first, just having a nightmare on every spare occasion, but since the final day started looming over us it started coming back to back.

 _Why do these things always happen to me?_

Since I was firmly awake, I decided I should have a nice stroll through my room till the rest of me figured out it was midnight. Helen had given me a big enough room when I had arrived. It was about the same size as the one I had back in Sinnoh, and for all luxuries and purposes, it had its charm. The wallpaper was an awkward tan that made the room feel like it came from the 30's, but I'd have to admit I was a sucker for pre twenty-second century. Helen had gotten me a big flatscreen as a "congrats on graduating" present a few days ago, even though the ceremony and party were tomorrow. I was grateful, but part of me wished she wouldn't go so far. It's not like I've done anything huge. Heck, the only thing I've done the whole year that was worth taking a look at was manage to keep my grades above a B. My bed was pushed into the far corner next to the window, on which I spent most of my free time watching cartoons, anime, and reading if I was bored. Next to my bed was a small dresser that held the majority of the clothes that I never wore. The closet, on the other hand, was where I kept some of my favorite stuff. My favorite of all was my blue and black jacket.

That jacket was the last thing I had from Sinnoh, and I got from a complete stranger. The stranger used it to keep me alive when I lost my arm. It still feels weird not to have it, but I learned to cope with the loss of your dominant hand and even learned how to write ambidextrous. I had ripped the jacket in half that same day to save the life of someone else. The jacket was a savior, and in the end it came right back to me. It arrived in a cardboard box during the start of my second year, all stitched up and clean. The box didn't have a return address or even a postage stamp, meaning someone had gone through the trouble of dropping it off themselves and ran off. It wasn't stitched perfectly though. There were spots where the stitching was overdone and this one piece at the bottom that still was torn. Almost as if the person fixing it had ran out of string.

But those small imperfections came to me as a reminder of all the pain I went through. I had gone through hell, and though it took some of me with it, I had come back stronger. I didn't want it perfect. It was the jacket that saved my life, and nothing could change that. Being perfect would only distance itself from what it was.

Among the many other dress shirts and coats hanging up in the closet, there was one other grand piece of clothing. The legendary graduation robe. I could almost consider myself lucky that, when the Event happened, I was finishing up my 8th grade year. I got to spend all of highschool in Unova, making new friends and living a new life. During my first year, I wouldn't talk to anyone. Every day I would sit in the back of the class and eat lunch at the only empty table with this big scowl across my face. I didn't want to meet anybody or do anything, I just wanted to go back home to Sinnoh. But that was impossible, and the thought that someone had taken that from me made me furious. I would have stayed that way too if this this one blonde girl, in a green hat to big for her own good, hadn't sat herself down right next to me. She didn't say anything to me, and didn't want to say anything back. We sat awkwardly for what felt like forever when a guy with glasses as thick as the table sits down on my other side. The two had boxed me in, and we sat there for ten minutes before I even said "hello."

Glasses was an egotistical nerd named Cheren, who to this day seems to relish in calling out every weird thing that I do. Green-hat was Bianca. An airhead with who was pretty much that stereotypical blond you just wanted to drop a reality bomb on. I had never seen them before since I got here, but apparently they've seen me. Those two had been my neighbors since officer Looker dropped me off at Helen's. They were outside playing with a Patrat when the car pulled up, and as my sullen face appear out of the back seat they immediately wanted to help. Or at least Bianca did; Cheren was sort of sucked in due to some proximity rule. They had shadowed me my whole first year, getting into my classes, following me home. Now that I think about it, I'm glad I didn't see them. I would have called the cops on those stalkers in a heartbeat. But despite their creepy and unorthodox methods, those two picked me up and got me moving again. From then on we were the best of friends, and today we were gonna graduate together.

With all the old memories flooding back, I took another look around the room. Everything in the here someone had given me, just so I would be happy. Everyone had put their time and heart into making sure I wouldn't feel homesick. That's why I couldn't tell Helen about the last thing she needed at this point is another reason to worry about me. I would just have to suck it up and try to hide it. At the very least make it appear that everything was alright.

The clock read 11:52 PM. It was practically midnight and the clouds were starting to roll over the moon, letting everything get dark. I crawled back into my bed and tried to get back to sleep. _Hopefully I won't have another dream._ I thought, as my mind slowly went to blank.

The alarm woke me up. First time in what has feeled like forever. I rolled out of my bed and did another inspection of my room. I was about to leave here soon, and the event of last night only furthered the nostalgia. I took a slow walk into the bathroom. I didn't have to be at the school until around noon, so I had at least four hours before I had to leave. Since I sweated last night, I thought it might be nice to take a shower now before getting my stuff together.

The water was always felt odd rolling down my arm. Every time I expected to feel it roll all the way down to my finger, but to have it stop at the bicep was off putting. On some days I would forget it all together and freak out because my arm had been stolen. It was depressing, but I still managed to get by the rest of the day without any other incident.

Hopping out of the shower, I did a quick dry and changed into my street clothes and jacket. By then I started to smell the sweet scent of the most delicious thing in the world. Buttermilk Pancakes. Something told me that today was going to be a huge make up for last night.

Hopping on one foot trying to put my other pants leg on I made my way stairs. Sliding down on the rail onto the main floor. At the bottom I had a quick and painful greeting with the wall. Maybe I had the wrong feeling about today. Despite the fact that my nose was smashed into an unrecognizable flapjack, the smell of a different flapjack was still in the air.

Helen was the sweetest, honest, and scariest person in the entire world. She has worn the same white v-neck shirt and the same blue jeans since the day I met her and I'm inclined to believe that's how she's always been. Helen's hair had this odd way that it defied gravity at this one blue headband on her head before falling behind her. Sometimes I feel as if she's hiding something in it, like if she lifted it up high enough there would be a sleeping Patrat. On a regular basis Helen would be the first one to get me out of bed and the second to actually wake up. She would often mumble around between her coffee and oats before giving me a hug as I went out the door for school. I expected as much from the CEO of Battle Company, but she seemed to do most of her morning on reflexes rather than actually being conscious. One morning when she went to hug me, and she ended up hugging the ficus and didn't even notice! But when she was awake she was the greatest woman alive. She would have a big breakfast cooked and ready to go, she would be pleasant, pushing me along a little, but always with the best intent.

But Helen was no pushover. Being the CEO of a huge company like the Battle Co. meant she had to take on some harsh, and very sexist individuals. Those experiences gave her skills that can turn a rampaging Gyarados back into a Magikarp.

Let me give you an example.

Back in Sinnoh, when I got a bad grade on an assignment, my mother would have Froslass use blizzard on me while being chased by Abomasnow! When I'm done running for my life, Dad would have me and Maxie spar until Maxie got tired! Pretty good incentive not to get a bad grade, right? Helen is a whole other category. When she gets upset, her skin peels off of her face until the only thing left is the skull. Orange light sprouts up from her neck and illuminates the whole room. Fire then shoots from her eyeballs and burns your head to a crisp. When that's done, she opens up a gateway to hell and has the undead feed on your insides. Then we get to the punishment, where I sit in an empty room for the remainder of the day, and if I made a noise she would make me do push ups. Thank the lord I only got a bad grade twice (as far as she knows).

Helen was in the kitchen, holding up a large stack of pancakes up to the ventilation so that the smell filled the whole house. "Oh, are we up? I thought this might work, of course you can never tell with teenage boys. Always the mysteries with them." I was completely oblivious to this "subtle" jab at me for something that I had. I was too distracted by the fake smile and the pancakes. My stomach had taken control of my brain, it wanted giant lumps of carbs. "So, professor Juniper stopped by this morning to give me some very interesting news." I was still focused on the pancakes, which she so tauntingly held just out of my reach. "She told me of how happy she was about you wanting to become a trainer." With that, the pancakes went out of my head and the only thing left was pure fear. Helens bright and pleasant smile was quickly replaced with a harsh and horrible frown.

"YOU WANT TO BECOME A TRAINER!?"

Classic method for Helen, lure me in with false treats and then unleash the hounds. Literally. Helen had sent out her two giant Stoutlands, Maggie and Joe, that looked ready to chew me alive. "You idiot! do you know how dangerous it is to be a trainer!" Helen said as me and the dogs ran around the house, knocking over furniture and climbing up the wall. "I don't know what the big deal is with you and trainers! You are a trainer! You are the CEO of a trainer supplies company! Why are you so scared of me being one too!" I shouted back at her, currently fending Joe off with a table. "Being a trainer means you'll have to deal with a lot of loss." She said back at me. "I just don't think you're ready." "Listen to Helen, Jack. She's only trying to do protect you." Joe said as he leaped at me from the top of the stairs. "You know the whole protection thing isn't being reinforced by the Stoutland you know!" I exclaimed narrowly escaping a pounce on the chest by Maggie.

With that they were called back. Helen just stood their shaking her head. "You know I care about you right?" She asked. "That I'm always going to look out for you. You know that?" I was completely confused. Helen was like my second mother. She always was there and she always did what she thought was best for me. "Of course." I didn't know what else to say, their was no doubt in my mind that Helen cared about me. With that last comment she walked over to me and gave me another one of her hugs. "Please Arceus, stay safe." She softly whispered into my ear. I was reminded of the last time I saw my mother. Those were the last words she said to me before I lost her. My eyes started to water up, but I dried them before Helen pulled away. "Now go get your pancakes."

She had already gone upstairs by the time I had gotten to the stack of flapjacks. It was no mystery to me that Helen thought of me as one of her own, and their were times when I would almost believe it too. Days would go by when the line between her and my real mother were blurred, but then I'd get sucked right back to reality and start crying. Reality was just too real, and I wished it wasn't. I wished I still had my arm, I wished that the Event didn't happen, I wish my life would just go back to normal. But that just can't happen.

I had finished my pancakes by the time Helen had gotten back downstairs. She was dressed in her off character business suit and tie, ready for work.

"I have to go in early today, so I can't drop you off at the school." She said, reaching into the fridge for a yogurt. "Cheren and Bianca are going to be here in an hour to pick you up. Make sure you're dressed! If I have to see you get your diploma in jeans and a t-shirt I will kill you." With a kiss on the forehead she gave me one last piece of advice. "Just make sure you are making the right decision." I just nodded, and then she left. I stood there alone in the kitchen, listening to the sound of her car as it pulled out of the driveway and left.

If you're wondering why I don't just drive, or walk, myself to school I have two reasons. The first is that Helen only has the one car, and that is her business car. The only thing on or in that car I can touch is the handle, the seatbelt and the seat. I am not allowed to drive that car or even offer people a ride in that car. The second reason is that the school was in Castelia City, and if anyone you know has traveled from Nuvema to Castelia, they can tell you it's freakin far. Lucky for me, Helen's office is in Castelia as well so it's not a big deal to get drive me over. But that is the only way I am going to get to school on time is if I drive. Hell would have to freeze over before I made it there on foot, and as far as I can tell, Hell is still on fire. Still, my old habits would get the best of me, and I would take a long, LONG walk to the city.

The house was completely quiet; if I dropped a pin it would echo for days. Since I had an hour to chill, I decided to take a nap. I went up the stairs, not falling to my death, and went into my room. On my bed there was a package, wrapped in newspaper with a letter attached.

 _Spencer_

 _I know you're set on being a trainer, despite my best judgment. Just remember that when you go on your journey you will have to make some tough choices, and I hope you are ready to handle that. Pokemon are with us always, and whether or not they're your pets, or if they're your partners, they will stand by your side. Respect each and every pokemon you come across, and please, God, DON'T give them a nickname. You suck at that._

 _I got another gift for you. Thought you might need it when you go on your journey. Just don't break it like the last one._

 _3 Helen_

Inside the package was a prosthetic arm. It was one of the newer models, where it used little electrodes on the end to pick up the signals you send from the brain. The endoskeleton was jet black and looked like the typical robotic arm you see in movies. I've seen a lot of these models, but they always had the plastic flesh surrounding it. I don't know what it was but I always thought it looked creepy and it provides zero protection to the skeleton since it was already resistant to just about everything. Helen really did know me best, and since I had broken my old one a month ago (you see Cheren bet me I couldn't climb this big old tree at the park and I bet him I could. Long story short I fell and broke the arm as well as my ankle and several ribs) this was the perfect gift.

I slipped it on over my stump arm, fastened the belt over my shoulder and around the sight, and turned it on. The thing was battery operated, but could be charged like anything else. The lights around the belt lit up and I felt a weird humming sensation where it touched my skin. It took a few seconds but soon I was able to move it like I would anything else on my body. I'll be honest, it was pretty creepy. The thing moved like it was a part of me but I couldn't feel it. It did what I told it to with flawless precision, but I couldn't feel that it was doing anything, so I was still a little freaked out. But still, a fake arm is better than no arm.

I took the letter and placed it back in the package, and put it into the closet with all the other boxes and cards I've collected over the years. I'm a bit of a hoarder that way. I set my alarm to go off in thirty minutes and took a quick nap before the craziness would ensue once more. Heck, I might even have that dream again.

I was in the void, the dragon standing before me. It wasn't mad or even on fire like the last time. It was still, its blue eyes were calmer now. The killer aura it radiated before was gone, left with only a calm silence. _"You will be waking up soon."_ It said, echoing again inside my head. _"Before you leave I shall leave you this. Think beyond that which you are afraid. Understand that everything has a purpose. The world is much bigger than you or me. Now, WAKE UP!"_

That was the first time the dream didn't leave me afraid. My sheets were completely dry and I felt calm. I must be in another universe. There is no way after the shit those dreams put me through that they were now just going to brush it off like "Nah, it's all good bruh." But after another quick inspection of the room I found everything was still in it's place and that I woke up a few minutes before the alarm.

The only thing that seemed strange to me was a giant lump of purple fuzz sleeping on my legs. Shauna had to be the most bipolar Purrloin I had ever had the privilege to live with. Whenever I was awake, she would always have something to say to me. Whether my hair was a mess, or I smelled bad, or even my shoelaces were untied. Mostly though it was how humans were oppressing the entire race of Pokemon. I wasn't just commentary though. She said it like I had purposefully done it just to tick her off, and sometimes that was true. If I was awake to hear it, she had something to say, but when I slept she was someone else. Every time she got the chance she would climb onto my bed and sleep on or next to me till morning. It wasn't like Helen kept her door closed either, that cat just wanted be near me. Despite it all, she was still cute while she was sleeping. So I gave a quick scratch on the head before I kicked her off.

Shauna gave me an unpleasant glare as she gathered herself after a crude wake up call. "You know it's inappropriate to wake people up while they're sleeping." She said, as her purple hair slowly began to stick up as per protocol. "Of course I wouldn't expect anything less from a human like you. Catching pokemon and running about all over the world. That's right. I heard what was going on downstairs and let me tell you; I expected nothing less of a delinquent like yourself." Through her entire mantra I just sat there and nodded my head. I had heard this same schpiel a million times and it always ended with her calling me some name. By the time she was finished I was still nodding my head, not even paying attention.

I looked at her with the utmost annoyance. "You know you say time and time again. About how humans are keeping pokemon custody and all that jazz. Yet here you are, in a human house, with a human trainer. You have never left, you have never stuck your nose up at anything we give you. So let me ask why, Shauna? Why?" For what seemed like the longest time she just looked at me. She looked completely confused, like the universe just crashed down on her. When she finally said something she gave me the most bonehead answer I have ever heard. "I'm in a covert operation." With that she left the room. What an idiot. "Well it's over now, you crazy cat." I mumbled to myself.

After that intelligent conversation I got out of my bed, grabbed my uniform, and took a long hard look at myself in the mirror. I looked like a dropout at a wizard school. I have seen pictures of people in their graduation robes, and it always looked clean and stylish. On me, it looked stupid as heck. I just thanked the lord I only had to wear this black sheet for one day. The hallway clock read 10:44. Cheren and Bianca still had ten minutes before they were going to pick me up. Come to think of it, why didn't I just walk over to their house? They were literally my next door neighbors.

Taking a more careful walk downstairs so I would not end up the newest fixture in the wall, I headed past the living room to the door. I took a quick pause before opening the door. This house held the happiest memories I've had in a long time. This was the place I grew up in, the place I could now call home. The second I walked out that door, I was going to leave it all behind. A felt a mixed feeling of sorrow and excitement welling up inside me. This was going to be my new beginning. I gripped the door with my new hand and opened the door.

Right into Bianca's face.

The poor thing was just about to knock on the door as soon as I opened it. I felt an a mixture of worry with a sprinkle of humor. The fact that her nose was bruised the bad part, the sling of "curses" afterwards was what made me want to laugh. "Son of biscuit. You fubber nucker, I'll bust your stupid face with a fargin hammer. Cheese on rice, what the heckl?" Cheren was trying his hardest not to pee himself while Bianca clutched her nose and proceded. Since he was too busy laughing himself to death, I was left to try and calm her down. I walked over very slowly, in this stage, she was highly unstable. One wrong move, and she would plow through you like butter or knock you out. I reached out my right hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" I said, with extreme caution. One wrong step and this could end in disaster. She froze up like a deerling in the headlights, and slowly looked down at my hand with utmost fear. She looked ready to scream as she slowly followed it up to my arm. But when she saw my face she calmed down instantly. "Oh sweet Mew it's only you. What the hell man, why did you have to open the door so hard." She muttered through her teeth as she proceeded to punch my arm. "And what is with that hand?You almost gave me a heart attack."

I had just now realized I had grabbed her with the prosthetic instead of the real one. Bianca was a nice enough girl, and she had grown out of her air head faze, but she was scared of everything. She was like a pidove ready to fly off at the slightest motion or claw your eyes out. I'm sure she thought that it was the hand of the reaper coming to get her or something like that. I was ready to pee myself too. She was honestly so afraid of a robotic arm, she was ready to kill it with fire. Cheren was still not composed by the time I had finished my share of laughs and Bianca had stopped punching me.

"Great. Now I'm going to have a bright red nose during graduation. If I wanted to have my nose get a diploma before me I would have slammed it into the doorway myself. And again, what is with the hand!?" I was still focused on Cheren slowly getting to his feet, so I had completely forgotten. "Hmm?" I asked in the most intelligent manner. "The arm, sherlock." Cheren breathed between laughs. "She wants to know about the arm." A lightbulb went off in my head as he said this, and I turned to face the most pissed off chick in the world. "Why does your new arm look like it came from Satan's house of horrors?" Since my arm didn't have the plastic flesh on it, the thing looked like something out of a nightmare. I thought it looked cool and more realistic than the plastic but I guess I was the minority. "It just doesn't have the stuff on it. I don't know why you're being so ridiculous."

Big mistake. When Bianca got pissed, it was for two reasons. Either you talked down to her, or you scared her. I had done both, and her face would give the devil nightmares. Cheren saw it too and immediately stopped laughing. "We're dead, aren't we?" I stupidly asked. "Well, you are. I think I'll get away with only a little mauling." He whispered oh so confidently. With that, she gave us one word. "Run." Like cartoon characters, we were gone, but to no avail. We all had a growing theory that Bianca had a little bit of testosterone in her. This mixed with rage made it impossible for anyone, even a decathlete, to escape from her wrath.

By the time we actually got in Bianca's car and we actually started driving to the school, Bianca had given us all a good luck present. I had a shiner the size of Kanto and a bruises up and down my left arm. Thank god the right one was okay, because Helen would kill me if I had broken another one. Especially on the same day. Cheren got away with only a few scratches, somehow. However, we all can agree that our robes weren't green before we got into the car. This was going to be a very interesting conversation for us and the faculty. _Dear Arceus, Helen is going to kill us. Heck, I'll be lucky if she lets me keep the GOOD arm._

Despite the fact we were all going to die the second we got out of the car, the drive over was rather pleasant. Nuvema town wasn't exactly the biggest town on the map, but for its sake it was a cute little town. The neighborhood I lived in was small, only a mile wide and two miles long. Professor Juniper's lab was just outside of it, literally a two minute walk from my house, and was nice enough so it wouldn't distract from the rest. Unova seemed to be in the middle of a war with itself. Half of it seemed to want to become a more industrialized place like Castelia and Black city, while places like Nuvema town and Nacrene city liked things to stay more rural. The only thing they managed to agree on was the routes stay dirt and grass for the people, and the underground can go to the cars. Many people say that this makes the drive boring and hard to concentrate, Cheren being one of them. Others say that it lets the top stay beautiful and lush in all its glory, the tune Bianca marched to. I was in the middle who agreed with both, like most people. I liked not having to dodge cars on my walks to Acumula, but I also hated that my drive to Castelia was in a tunnel.

Well, I guess no matter what side you are on, nothing can beat the reveal when you enter onto the Skyarrow bridge. Skyarrow is a huge white bridge that crosses over the harbor into the city, and the view is fantastic. The shining brilliance of the bridge gives way to the towering buildings in Castelia, putting me in a state of awe. In the four years I have been in this nation, nothing has beaten the splendor of that one reveal. The brilliance seemed to complement the weather, changing based on what the sky was like. On a sunny day it felt overjoyed and marvelous. When it rained it seemed sad, crying over the disappearance of the bright day. When it stormed, it seemed vengeful and full of hate, ready to strike down anyone who dared to cross it. We all shined with hope that today was going to be alright, despite the fact we looked like we came from a cabbage patch.

The city itself still wasn't open for car use, so the bridge sort of served as a tease. Almost as if it were saying, "Look at the city! Oh how splendid, oh how marvelous! Now back in your hole heathens." Man, the bridge was a jerk.

The school was on the upper-west side of the city and was decent enough, It was a two-story high school with roughly 1,000 students. Helen had insisted that I go to a public school, thinking that because of my position I needed more social interaction of a diverse culture. The teachers there were all idiots, some days seeming like they didn't even know the topic they were teaching. Several times I had to remind my BR (Battle Refinance) instructor about how fighting types had NO EFFECT on a ghost type. Or how a gyarados is NOT a dragon type, despite the appearance. I mean, I know they hire these guys from the pile of failed trainers sitting at their doorstep, but come on! Who out there actually thinks this bull!

Despite the below average education, the people there were decant enough. There will always be that one guy who thinks he's the messiah or something, but just that one guy. For the most part, everyone treats you like a normal person, even if you have some… quirks. I guess that's one of the reasons I wa able to adjust so well with this new place. Everyone understood, or least tried to, that it's not easy to go through this. One day you're in the snow, and just as quickly you're staring at the fire. It never leaves you, no matter how hard you try. It follows you, and this damn arm just follows me as a reminder. Why did it have to happen to me? Why can't I just be home with my family? I didn't want this, so why does it have to tear me apart!?

 _"WAKE UP!"_

I can't just sit here and mope. Today is going to be a new day, a new beginning. I'm going to finally be a trainer. Bianca parked the car in one of the underground lots reserved for students. We were told by the administration to be in the auditorium by 12:00 sharp. We took one last look at ourselves before we made the climb to the first floor. "We are going to die a horrible, painful death." I said with the utmost confidence. "Yep." Cheren replied. "No way out of this one. We're out of time and out of resources. Not a good omen for the three of us." Bianca just smiled at us and cheerfully looked for the good side. "Come on, guys." She said. "I think it makes us look edgy. You know, don't play by the rules mentality." We just stared at her dumfounded. "Since when are we 'edgy'?" Cheren grumbled. I was in complete agreement. We had a reputation as being the social outcasts in the school. We were Pluto, and the closer you got to the sun the more you were "in tune" with social interactions.

I had walked up the stairs to the school about every day of my life in Unova, so much that it was almost mind numbing. Every step and every rail sent you in a kind of hypnotic trance and if you aren't careful you'll end up on the roof and have to climb all the way back down. Today though, we were a little more careful, or at least a little more panicked. Today was the last day we were going to be here, and we were going out green.

Fan-flipping-tastic.

Have you ever had the feeling that all eyes were on you as you walked into a room. Did people tell you it was great or it gave you a sense of pride. Here is a bit of advice, DO NOT BELIEVE THOSE PEOPLE. They are clearly masochists because all eyes were on us as we entered the auditorium, and it was terrifying. Few moments in my life have made me want to throw up. My mom telling me where hamburger meat comes from (miltanks), my dad giving me "the talk", Helen trying her best at dancing, and that one moment walking into a crowd of people looking like a lawn.

The principle was on the stage behind his classic podium. He was just about to address the class of 2202 with his rules and regulations about the ceremony when he saw us. I think that was the first time I ever saw someone's head explode. The blood rushed to his face, his hair stood on, and he started screaming at the top of his lungs. I think he was trying to achieve some sort of final form as well. But anyways, we had to sit out the whole ceremony due to our attire. Something about being an embarrassment to the school and having no respect for how we look. I wasn't really paying attention since I was so focused on the fact that his hair was going blond.

The school still had to let us graduate since we had clean records and decent grades. Still, it kind of sucked to have to sit in the auditorium for about two hours just so we could go home with everyone. Cheren actually had the nerve to say that this was all my fault. "If you hadn't opened that door, Bianca wouldn't have chased us down, and we would be up there with our diplomas instead of in here with our grass stains." I was so tempted to punch him right now. The a-hole actually made it sound like I had done this on purpose! "You're not wrong." Bianca replied, not helping in the slightest. "Even though it was your idea to pick Jack up early. And don't act so sanctimonious either. It's not like you did anything to diffuse the tension by having your little breakdown in the dirt." Now I felt less bad. Bianca had both agreed with and shot down Cheren, making me both happy to see Cheren fumble and angry because somehow the blame is being pushed on me.

These feelings were quickly replaced by fear and panic. You know how in movies when the villain walks in and they are always accompanied by some big dramatic music. Yah, the band geeks are turds because that's exactly what they did when Helen walks in. "Did we have fun?" she asked rhetorically. Everyone in the school knew that if Helen yelled at you, there was a chance of making it out in one piece. But if she started off with a question then you knew you were dead. It was her trademark. Lure you in with a pleasant comment, completely innocent, and then murder you when you answered. "Well….." Cheren started to say before me and Bianca quickly shut him up. "Don't move." I whispered. "Don't even make a sound. The longer we drag this out the longer we get to live. Do you understand?" Cheren nodded. We were rooted in our seats, not even daring to turn around.

"You know the principle gave me a very interesting story when the ceremony was over, and now that I see the results I know it's true." We could hear her step by step as she inched closer to us. "My, my. What would your parents think if they found out what you have done." Sweat was pouring down my face, my heart was beating at twenty beats a minute. "I'm sure they will be so glad to hear on their vacation that they can't see their children get their diplomas. Why? Because they had ruined their robes and embarrassed the school." Cheren was starting to whimper and Bianca's hands were becoming sweaty. "I have a question to ask the three of you. Do you know what my strongest Pokemon is? I'll give you hint, it's big and black with tons of energy." _Luxray! She is going to use a Luxray! Or is it…._ "Come on out, Clara." _Shit, a Chandelure._ "Now…. Run."

The ride back to the house was painful at best. Chandelure had managed to give my a burn on just my rear, so there was no way I could sit comfortably. Bianca had to drive her car back to her own house, but Helen had insisted that she take me and Cheren home. As an added measure to make sure we stayed in the car the whole ride over, she had Maggie sit on our laps. That dog could learn to lose a few pounds. I just wanted to apologize for all that we caused. Helen was probably going to have to call Bianca and Cheren parents, who currently were vacationing in the Sevii islands, and tell them about the mess. She was then going to have to pay for the robes, which, by the way, were rentals. Then she was going to have to have the pleasure of paying for the damages Chandelure cost the school when it burned down he auditorium.

When we drove up to the house, Helen got out of the car and stood waiting while we were still being crushed by Maggie. When Bianca's car finally pulled up, Helen called back the giant moose and let us out of the car. For the longest time we just stood there looking at each other. I could feel the disappointment emanating from her and it just made me feel horrible. When she finally did speak it was like she dropped a hammer on my soul. "I thought we raised you better than that. I thought that we had given you enough guidance to know not to do something like that. Today was your big day, and the best you could give us for our hard work was grass stains. Really? I at least thought you would paint them or something." With that all feelings of guilt were whisked away. She expected what? "I mean when I was your age I had a bonfire with my graduation robe. Literally, I set the thing on fire with me in it. Now that was a way to end it, but no. You decided that grass stains was the best course of action." I am sorry but what? She did what to the what? Set it on fire! "You know we had placed a bet on the three of you. I bet you would top us but instead you arrived in a dirt stained robe and made the principle go blond. Your senior prank was so much better than this." I remember that one. It was a monday and Bianca had managed to swipe the master key from the athletics director. Cheren got into the security office and put all the cameras on loop. We ended up filling the entire first floor with canned cheese and toilet paper before school started! Wait, stop. This is no time to get nostalgic, Helen was talking crazy. "I guess I should be happy you did something but….what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

We had the dumbest, most confused expressions on us. Helen, the woman we had known to fear when it came to pranks and gags, was telling us we didn't do a good enough job. "Who are you and what have you done with Helen." The only thing I could say. This person could not possibly have been Helen, she would never condone what we have just done.

Laughter. The only explanation we got was laughter. Like that's making any of this make since. I was calling it, Helen has become victim to alien body snatchers. "Come on. We got to get you changed out of those clothes." The alien suspect stated. We followed reluctantly into the house to find it filled with green alien goo. People all over town had been snatched and we were going to be next.

Actually it was just the way the house normally looked, but I kept that alien theory securely in back pocket. If she should any more signs of body snatcher-ness I was calling area 51. "Alright, so you guys need to get out of those clothes." She said as I observed her carefully. "Bianca there is a change of clothes in my room, for you boys it's in Jack's room, and Jack, no, I'm not an alien. Good Arceus, you're being ridiculous." Ha, proof! She read my mind. BODY SNATCHER CONFIRMED! "Nice try Jack, but it's written all over your face." Nevermind, we're clearly back to Helen. _Darn it._ "Well what are you waiting for?" She questioned as she walked to the kitchen. "Come on, we're going to be late. Let's go!"

Late for what?

Changing was a relative breeze, although it took Bianca about ten minutes before she actually came downstairs. Helen had gotten a hold of Cheren's classic blue collared jacket and jeans, along with a white t-shirt. My clothes were already in stock, with my black and blue tattered jacket and jeans, along with a white shirt and red hat. Helen had taken off her coat and had draped it over the chair by the time we got downstairs. She was calmly sipping from her classic coffee mug and continued not to talk until Bianca descended the stairs. "All right!" She excitedly announced. "Gang's all here! Now here's your surprise, and no, Jack I am not going to "snatch" you." Yep, that was definitely our Helen. "To the backyard!"

And she lost us again. We never went into the backyard, mainly because it was an empty dirt lot that Helen had paid to get fixed but never had it done. It was odd and unsightly and…. full of people.

The whole backyard was hosting what was single handedly one of the biggest parties of the year. Everyone and their uncle was here. Even Lenora, the Nacrene gym leader. Helen had gathered up all of her college friends as well as few of hers to throw the biggest bash we have ever seen. Helen was already talking with a Lenora by the time we made it out the door. I only managed to hear part of their conversation but I did hear bits about a meat dress, fire, and grass. As for the rest of the party, it was fan freakin tastic. Professor Juniper's dad, Cedric, had set up a poker table in the back which I had the pleasure of losing every round to. Just glad I didn't put any money to it or else I'll be working at a Pokemart for minimum wage for the next fifty years before I paid it off.

Everyone was having the time of their life. Bianca was talking up a storm with a few veteran trainers from Helen's days in college, Cheren on the other hand was still wining a corn hole tournament with Lenora and the mailman. The food was fantastic, everything from 5 cheese pizza to gallons of ice cream. Vegans can suck it, because this was awesome, and it kept getting better.

The party lasted for about five hours, in that time several of the trainers had gotten drunk, Cedric had finally lost a round of poker, not to me, but still a victory, and Helen and Lenora were passed out near the food after an "all you can eat" challenge. But one thing was a little off, throughout the whole party, Proffesor Juniper had been very silent. Most of the time she was hyper and energetic like she was on a sugar high, but today she had managed to keep herself out of the crazy. By the time everyone had stated to go home she was still wandering around, picking up bits of trash that people left behind.

By the time Lenora and Helen had woken up from their food coma, she was still hanging around. We all gave our last goodbye to the gym leader and were about to go inside when Helen stopped us. "Oh no." She said. "It is time for one last thing." She gave Juniper a little nod, and what came next I can only describe as the equivalent of a neutron bomb. Apparently she and Helen had made some sort of deal that if Juniper could keep herself controlled for the party then she could do something we weren't too sure about. She must have kept all of that energy bottled up, because the result was shattering.

"OhmygoshthankyouIwan'tsureifIwasgoingtomakeitbutIdidandyouheldupyourendandthisisgoingtobesoexitingyouthreearesoluckyohmygosh. *Breath* Do you three have any idea what this means?"

We shook our heads slowly at the crazy person who stood before us. "AH! I'm going to get the package AH!" For the second time today we were stuck dumbfounded as the professor bolted into the house. "What the heck was that?" Cheren asked in a most appropriate manner. "You'll see." Helen replied with another one of her trademark grins.

Juniper came racing out holding in her arms a big package. "This is so cool! I can't believe you actually gave me the green light on this! I thought for sure that you would have been against it but no! You said YES and that is so cool!" She was absolutely radiating with enough energy to make a Voltorb jealous. I have never seen a dignified scientist this worked up over something in a box that we had no clue of.

"Can I just ask, what is going on?" A completely appropriate question that was then greeted by creepy grins. "You three said you wanted to be trainers, right?" Juniper asked with a grin so wide it showed everyone of her teeth. I was starting to pick up on the excitement. "Yes!" We all said in unison. "Well." Juniper joyfully replied. "Inside this box, is three starter pokemon. So go ahead take your pick!"

" _Good."_

" _Now we're making some progress."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter two**

"Now hold on one second!" Helen exclaimed, shattering the excitement into an empty void of disappointment. "Why do you think you deserve these Pokemon? After your disappointing behaviour this afternoon, I doubt that you actually have what it takes to train them." She was baiting us. Trying to get us to beg. I had seen this trick to many times, a classic form of torture. She would dangle the prize right in your arrogant face and then snatch it away. If you gave in, you would never get it. You had to play the game the way she wants it.

"I don't see why this is such a problem." I was trying to manipulate her. Make her lose her cool and show some opening. "We were given no warning that you expected anything better from us. In fact, this morning, you attacked me with Stoutland because I was acting out. What makes you think this was our fault?" I was stepping too far. I could see the frustration on her face, but the trademark smirk never left. I was getting her, but I hit too hard. We had to be ready for the return fire.

"After the… events of last month, I would've thought you'd have the guts to do something bigger." That comment kept itching at me. Why did she keep bringing up the senior prank? What about it was so important to her? "You three had carried out the prank of the century so I was sure you had the right stuff for graduation. I had no idea you would chicken out at the last second."

This time, Cheren was ready. When it came to cold hard interrogation, no one could get past him. The only one to beat his fact based tactic was Helen, and even _that_ was a heavy war. "I notice you keep bringing up that one event. What could be its true significance? We've carried out plenty of other pranks in the past. We flooded the school bathrooms, broke into the office and changed all the passwords to the school computers, even released wild Pidoves in the science wing. Why is this one so important to you?" Cheren had her. The smirk was gone and I could see the sweat running down the side of her face. His next move was critical. "I think it's because we did something you never could. We came up a prank that topped anything you could have come up with. What about that?"

 _Idiot._

He played right into her hand. Helen was a master of deception and can easily lead you into a false sense of confidence. If you showed too much, she would destroy you. "Maybe." She said. "Maybe it was a prank I could never pull off. Or maybe it's the only one I didn't hold your hand on. Did you forget who came up with the idea of flooding the school? Who planted it in your head? Or how about who drove to Nacrene city, where you got those pidoves, and let's not forget who had the administration distracted in a meeting when you broke into the office! Oh yeah, I was there every step of the way, and last month was when I let you go on your own. That's why it's so important, Cheren!"

She had him pinned, his trump card lost. He had no recovery now, and he needed a tag out. We had almost found a weakness something to grab her and we blew it. She was scared for a minute, almost losing, but we hadn't hit the last nail. She wasn't afraid of telling us off as amateurs who got lucky, and she wasn't afraid of telling us she was our aid. So what was she afraid of? Bianca was up next. She fought calm and collected, almost like Cheren's fact tactic, but she looked for the facts about you. She analyzed your body movements and speech patterns. She could tell what you were thinking before you even said it. A human lie detector.

"You don't care about the pranks." She said. "There is something else lurking behind your eyes. But what is it? Is it anger, that we have not grown to your expectations? Is it regret, that you have not raised us efficiently…. No. There is something else." Bianca had her. When she got serious things would get really weird. Almost supernatural. I have experienced first hand what it was like to get picked apart. It felt like Bianca was inside your own head, scratching at the walls. Her eyes penetrated you like a dagger, and twisted around inside. She tore you to pieces, and the evidence on Helen's face was clear enough to see.

Bianca was getting close.

"Why don't you tell us, Helen? Tell us what's going on inside your head! I want to know, Helen! I want to know what makes you tick!" Bianca had reached stage two, the fear factor. She would berate you with the same question while simultaneously inching herself closer. The tactic messed with the old parts of your head, the ones that tell you danger is near. This induces the fight or flight response, which can go either way, it only depends on how hard you push.

At the moment, Helen looked ready to run. The sweat starting to run down her face was evidence enough for me to make that assumption. Juniper was still grinning, clearly enjoying this odd form of torture. What her deal was, I would never know, but at the moment it looked like Bianca was going to win. I knew from experience that you could never be too sure with Helen, but if all went well, we could finally become trainers.

"I think I'm starting to see it, Helen. What lies behind those eyes. The secrets you have kept locked away. Why don't you tell us them Helen? Why not give us what we seek?" The wind was starting to pick up, giving this whole seen a creep factor of 11 out of 10. Bianca was starting to push, and she was pushing hard. Helen still held her ground, but you could tell the tactic was getting to her, and Bianca was reveling in it. Creepy.

"You know Bianca," Helen started to reply. "Your father is on my side with this one. He doesn't think you're ready, and for good reason. You've been riding the boys coattails for years now, and have nothing to show for it. What makes you think you can be a trainer?" Helen was fighting back now, and was not pulling any punches. That cut deep, and on a normal day that would have made anyone crumble, but something was… off. Helen didn't have the power anymore, not like usual. It was weak, half baked, almost like she threw it out there for the wind. Had Bianca won?

"You're running out of insults, old hag." Bianca was pushing with all her might now, leaving nothing on the table. "The picture is becoming clearer to me, it is what I seek." A cloud starting passing over the sun, plunging the yard into an eerie shadow. The wind was picking up harder now, wiping the hat off of Bianca's head. As her blond hair whipped in the wind I could almost believe she was causing this. Every step seemed to make the world darker and plunge the temperature into a complete cold. It was July and I could see my breath.

"You're afraid, Helen." Bianca's voice had changed, coming from deep in her chest. "You don't think we can handle the outside. Your eyes are filled with loss, and you are afraid. Look into my eyes Helen and tell me you're afraid." I couldn't see Bianca's face but from behind I was already afraid. The air just kept getting colder and the sun refused to shine. The wind made my eyes tear up, to the point I could barely see. Through my squinting eyes, her green dress appeared to go black, and her hair turned platinum blonde. It was like a vision from hell.

Helen looked ready to scream, with every step Bianca took, she took a step back. The sweat was now pouring down her face and her usual calm face had turned to a face of fear. "Tell us the truth Helen!" Bianca exclaimed, her voice seeming to emanate from the earth itself. "You are afraid that we will see what you have seen! Look at me Helen! Tell me what you know!"

" _I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT!"_

With that everything went normal. The wind died down and the sun returned to its orange glow on the horizon. Helen had lost, but I'm not sure if we won. Bianca had gone to full blown scare mode, enough to actually make a grown woman scream. Juniper had stopped smiling and everyone had gone silent until Helen spoke again.

"I have seen so many of friends get hurt when went on my journey." She said between the tears. "I lost so many and I just wanted to make sure you were ready. There is going to be a lot of pain and a lot of fear, so you have to be ready. Friends will die and it will seem like it's all your fault. Nothing can prepare you for that level of pain, but at the least you can handle the rest. I'm not going to hold your hand anymore. Take Juniper's present up to your room. Pick your pokemon and get ready to leave. Tomorrow, you start your journey."

Helen climbed the steps back into the house. Leaving us in the middle of the yard. I felt like someone had just ripped out my heart. I had just seen a rock turn into pebbles in an instant. I had no idea how much pain Helen had gone through. There would be days when she would tell us stories about how she made mistakes and her friends got hurt, but death? I was not sure I was ready.

Cheren was the first one to speak.

"You shouldn't have pushed her so hard." He said. "Clearly you hit a nerve and it's affecting her." Bianca didn't say anything, she just looked at her feet. I knew Bianca better than anyone, she was the nicest person in the universe. She hated doing anything that hurt somebody, even if she didn't show it. Bianca had a huge heart and to see her this upset meant that she knew too well how far she went. It seemed like an eternity that we just stood there, not saying a word.

"Well.. _That_ was depressing." Juniper stated like the ignorant airhead she was. "Now that we've all had our souls torn into little, tiny, bite-sized pieces, what do you say we take these inside?" She held the box up to us, and we just stared at it. After the show we had just witnessed, I wasn't sure we should be doing this. Maybe Helen was right. Maybe this was just too dangerous.

Juniper looked at us with a saddened expression, like she was capable of sympathy. "Look! I know what Helen said must have really hit at home with you guys but you have to trust me. I know what it's like to be a trainer, and I remember how much fun I had. I got to meet all sorts of pokemon, and made all kinds of new friends. I even met my husband while on my journey, and while there were losses, I had a lot of fun. Helen just needs to be reminded of that."

I was still highly skeptical, but I did feel better. I took the box and headed back inside. Helen was on the couch with the TV on. She was sprawled along the length of the furniture with her head facing away from us. From the beer on the table I could tell she wasn't watching. She just wanted some background noise for her thoughts. I hated to see her like this but there was nothing I could do. When she got depressed she was like a dummy, immune to everything around her You could do whatever you wanted to her, but she would just sit there and give no response.

The stairs to the second floor seemed longer this time than all the others. Every detail became more apparent to me than before. Than tan paint, the chipped wood, even the wobbly rail. I had climbed these stairs for four years but I never took the time to appreciate them. They were old like the rest of the house, with that rustic charm that made you want to question their existence. Weird, how a big thing can make you think about the little things like stairs and paint. Arceus; I must be depressed.

Cheren and Bianca followed me into my room where I laid the box on my bed. Juniper had joined Helen in the living room, maybe to help her on her feet or something. I didn't care, I was more focused on this box. It was a simple blue box with a green and white ribbon. There was nothing overly special about it, other than its contents. It was rather light and didn't have any holes, which led me to believe that the pokemon were still in their pokeballs. What was it like in there I wondered. Was it cold? Was it lonely? For the longest time we just stood there and stared at it. If we opened the box, our lives would be changed forever. We would be trainers, which means we get to go on a great adventure. It also means we'll have to deal with great loss. Where we ready for that?

"Hey. Jack." Cheren whispered to me.

"What?"

"Open the box."

Cheren was single handedly the biggest jerk I have ever seen. It's like he didn't care about anything, he just wanted to get a Pokemon.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" I yelled. "We have no idea what is going to happen to us. This is uncharted waters and you just want to jump right in? Friends will die, Cheren! Do you honestly think you are prepared for that!?"

Cheren stared at me for the longest time. The sun light shining on his glasses made it impossible for me to see his eyes, so I couldn't tell what he was thinking. I was furious with him. I had put up with his arrogance for years and now when I call him out on it, he just stands there and says nothing.

"Well?" I ask again, and this time he finally says something.

"You think I don't know that? I am fully aware that it's not not safe. But what good is it going to do me if I just sit here and do nothing! We have come so far dammit! I am not going to give up now!"

My heart stopped. Cheren was crying. He honestly felt the pain we were feeling. I had never seen him like this, and to finally know what he's thinking was a huge relief and a huge terror. I couldn't find the words, but for some reason, I smiled. I was ready to open the box and see what's inside.

The box had a letter on it from Juniper underneath the ribbon. It read:

 _Dear Jack, Cheren, and Bianca_

 _Inside are three Pokemon. These pokemon will be your friends on your journey. They will walk with you as you meet new friends and travel to new places. Each one has it's own personality and their own way of fighting. The moment you choose your pokemon you will become trainers and a whole new adventure will unfold._

 _Please choose carefully among these three as there is no going back. Don't be afraid to give them a new name either. A name can strengthen the bond between pokemon and people._

 _Jack, try and be nice to everyone. I know you can be a little reserved but remember. It's a whole new world out there, with new adventures waiting to be discovered. And if anyone asks about the arm, try not to hit them. You tend to lose control about that and I don't want my newest invention breaking. Again._

 _Bianca, always keep fighting. Don't let anyone stand in your way and remember you are strong. This world is going to be full of danger, but it has no idea of the storm that's about to hit it! Go on, and be a tornado!_

 _Cheren, try shutting up for a bit. You won't have your friends to protect you every step of the way and Jack and Bianca won't be there to keep you in line. If you say the wrong thing to the wrong person, you may end up being flattened_

 _P.S. Please don't fight over the Pokemon. They're babies so I want them to get a good impression of you._

 _Sincerely, Juniper._

I laughed at the part about Cheren, which only got me puzzled looks. I thought for just a second about not showing them the letter and witnessing the hell that was going to unfold, but I'm not that cruel. I gave them both the letter which awarded me a beaming grin from Bianca and a scowl from the know-it-all. I pulled the ribbon and opened up the box. Inside were three pokeballs.

Bianca came up with a brilliant idea when I showed her the contents. "Why don't we all pick one at a time without looking at them. Add to the mystery, you know." I had to admit: I liked the idea. But as to how we were going to decide the order was beyond me. Whoever chose first would narrow the choice for the second who would in turn choose for the third. No one wanted to be last and everyone wanted to be first. I am ashamed to say that we came to our decision through a game of rock-paper-scissors, which I, of course, lost. Since Bianca won she got to choose first. Since we agreed that we weren't going to look when we picked our pokemon she literally closed her eyes and grabbed the first thing she could get a hold of.

For the longest time she just stood there and stared at it. I was getting rather impatient. "Well, open it." I said. She looked at me with the most nervous expression. "I want to, but I think it will be better if we opened them up all at the same time." I sighed a breath of exhaustion. Bianca's constant "ideas" only helped in making this a more brutal experience.

Cheren was up next, and he simply looked down and snatched the first one he saw, didn't even debate it. He too didn't open his and just looked at me. "Well, are you going to grab your Pokemon or are you just going to stand there?" I didn't get mad. I just glanced at him and delivered my card. "Remember what Juniper said. Shut up, or you might get flattened." I was rewarded by a grumpy Cheren and a look back into the box. One pokemon was left. I reached in with my right arm and grabbed it. I think the sensors are starting to connect better with my nervous system. This time it actually felt like I was grabbing something.

We stood together in the middle of the room and looked at each other, waiting for the next person to make their move. "On the count of three, we all open them up." I said, my voice shaking with anticipation. "One." My heart was pounding out of my chest. "Two." I wasn't ready for this, but I couldn't stop counting down. "Three." I pressed the button and released the pokemon.

Bianca got a some sort of pig pokemon. It was red with a curly black tail and rear. It looked like it could be a fire type, but it also could be a ground. The pokemon gave off that aura that it just does not care about anything or anyone. Bianca had completely lost her mind. "Oh my Arceus, you are so cute!" She said as she squeezed him like a plushy. "Great." the Tepig said. "I get stuck with the crazy one." He seemed less than interested with his current situation and I could sympathize. "I am going to call you Wilbur, my little biscuit." Even I cringed on that one. Just because he was a pig did not mean you had to go so low on the naming chart. "Please Arceus, don't." Wilbur complained, and for good reason.

Cheren got this neat little snake thing. This one was obviously a grass type, the way the leaves curled up his body coupled with his green and white skin. For some reason it had legs, which I couldn't understand, but on the most part he was pretty chil. He looked like a guy you could hang with and could also kick your ass and knock you out on the floor. "What's up, little dude." Cheren managed to choke out, trying to sound cool. The Snivy barely looked at him. "Listen nerd, if this is going to work out you're going to have to lighten up. At the very least, don't talk." Cheren was completely stunned. I guess Juniper was wrong, there was going to be someone to put Cheren in his place. Even though he just received a major burn from a grass-type, the nerd still managed a smile. "What do you think of the name Dennis?" He said with the goofiest grin. Again, the snivy just barely glanced at him. "I think you've got some potential." Dennis mumbled, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

I got what has to be the most goofy looking thing in the known universe. It was like cross breed between a cat and a sea otter. The little guy had this plump white head with short blue ears on the top of its head. Its short sea green body had this small scallop on its belly. It had this short blue tail and webbed feet that looked like it served no purpose other than swimming. What didn't help was that in addition to his dumpy looks, the dude was totally lax. He seemed ready to let life flow over him like a stone. "So you're my trainer, huh. I'm warning you: I'm tougher than I look." The Oshawott said with limited emotion, and I believed him. Despite the fact that he was odd, he was a little intimidating. Dude was almost like a rock type, tough but very patient.

"What do say if I called you Max?" I asked him. I thought it was entirely it was kind of ironique since he was totally chil. The guy seemed to have like no inhibitions what so ever, and I was kind of impressed. "I think I like it." He said, rewarding me with a small grin. I think me and him were going to get along swimmingly, and yes, the pun was intentional.

The sun had started its slow descent on the horizon and I was feeling a bit tired. "Well," I yawned. "Guess it's time we hit the hay." I was ready to go right to sleep at that point. We had all had a long day and with Helen chasing after me for the majority of it, I was exhausted. Apparently I was the only one. The others just stared at me, with the grin of Satan on their faces.

"What?" I stupidly asked. They looked at each other then back at me and one after another they made their horrible chant. "We just got new pokemon." Cheren started with Bianca following after. "Don't you think we should…" and in unison they both said the most terrifying word I could ever imagine at that time.

"Don't you think we should… BATTLE!"

I was completely shocked. We had just been told about how dangerous a battle can be. About how we can lose our friends in an instant. And now, the first time they get there hands on a pokemon they wanted to battle. I had to admit I was a little reserved to the idea of battling right out of the bat, but something in the back of my mind started to itch. I had done this a million times back in Sinnoh. Yes, battling is dangerous and yes, friends can be lost. But to battle, is to live. I remember how much I loved it. The constant exchange of blows, learning your opponent. The happy memories brought a tear to my eye. I had forgotten why I wanted to be a trainer. I was a trainer not for the glory, but for the excitement of a battle.

"You're on!"

Cheren had me and Bianca go first. We were going to do this tournament style. Winner moves on, loser gets to spectate. Max was completely still. "Let's do this." I loved the little guy's attitude, not a single care but still super focused. Wilbur on the other hand was less than amused. He looked like he didn't even want to be here. Max had already told me his moves, all two of them, so I was more than ready. Cheren was going to referee our match, right in the bedroom. Suddenly I realized what a stupid idea this was.

"The match continues until one of the pokemon can no longer battle." Cheren said, trying his absolute best to sound cool. "The winner goes on to fight in the next round. Round one will be Max and Wilbur. Ready! Begin!"

"Max, use tackle!" "Wilbur, tackle as well!" The two charged at each other with more speed than I expected. They were small but fast enough to hold their own. I had seen stronger, but I was still impressed. Max and Wilbur collided in the middle of the room head on. For a moment I thought Wilbur was going to get the better hit, but Max got him in the shoulder. A large mass of nerves just got hit by a full force physical attack. Critical hit.

Max still took damage a ton of damage though. Wilbur had found his arm arm underneath Max's throat, putting a lot of damage him. Critical hit. He was a fire type, so it's attack and sp. attack would have a bigger impact. But that also meant his defense was down meaning a critical hit was far more dangerous. Since we managed to get underneath him we had a higher probability of succeeding. "Max, tackle again!" "You too, Wilbur!"

This time they didn't hit each other as head on. After the beating he took last time, Max seemed more conservative with his blows. Wilbur on the other hand was still charging straight forward like a gyarados. I was starting to see there fighting styles. He was a physical fighter, more focused on doling out the damage rather than actually protecting himself. Max was more protective, seeming to analyze his opponent and look for an opening. He was alert, and keeping very calm under pressure. Excellent.

Max was not going to be able to take another big hit like that. He seemed to have enough energy, but I was not going to risk it. If we're going to win this it had to be with a single blow. Wilbur is highly aggressive which means he has to leave an opening behind his defense. During that head on collision, what gave Max the ability to hit that nerve center. "Hey Jack." Max had caught me off guard. I was so deep in thought when he spoke up I almost jumped. "What's up." I said, was now really the time for a chat? "Have you noticed?" Max asked, which I rewarded with a puzzled expression.

"He leads with his shoulder."

I was stunned. That was so obvious and yet I was standing there racking my brain trying to figure it out. "Every time he comes in to attack, he drops his shoulder to hit lower." I had noticed that, but I never thought of it as a weakness. By dropping his shoulder he reduces his surface area and increases his density and force. A smart move, but with a big weakness. It exposes the shoulder and leaves him open for a critical hit. I doubt that he would be dumb enough to keep that open for long, so that weakness will be hard to exploit.

"So you do see it? His weakness?" Yep I saw it. Since he was lowering his body his back was left wide open. A huge weak spot, and the source of a ton of nerves. "Max." I said. "I want you to use tackle again, but when you do, jump." Max got into a ready position, his face didn't change though. "Hear you loud and clear boss," and he charged.

Tepig was ready to respond, already a third of the way across when the two met. Have you ever had those moments when time seemed to slow down. Those moments when you get to take in every little detail, every movement of every hair. I could see it all. Wilbur lowered his shoulder, ready to drive again into Max's gut. Inches from impact Max jumps and spins over him. Right as the tepig passes underneath him, Max delivers a crushing blow into Wilbur's spin with his scalchop. Knock out. Max wins.

"Wilbur is unable to battle. The winner is Jack and his oshawott, Max."

Huh, our first victory. "HELL YEAH!" This was awesome, we had fought together for the first time and we had won. I had battle dozens of times before in Sinnoh but I have never won before.

That thought hit me like a load of bricks. What I wouldn't give to have my parents see me this. To see me win my first battle. To actually work as a team. But that was impossible. They were gone. Dead. Ripped to pieces with the corpses in front of my very eyes. The images kept flashing through my head. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I felt like I was going to throw up. I clutched the area where my heart was and willed it to stop. But it was useless. The images kept flashing in my head. The blood, the sight of the floor through her stomach. The pain in my arm and the massive size of the legend. It felt like I was right back there, right at the top of the mountain, standing over them. Why was this happening, why now and why not later. Leave me alone. I don't want to see it anymore. Just leave me alone!

" _Wake up!"_

I had collapsed to the floor. Cheren and Bianca were standing over me with a panicked expression. Another day another cold sweat I guess. Why do these things always happen to me. "How long was I out for?" I asked. These kinds of things happen so often now that it's become a common thing. Most of the time I pass out for a few hours, but since it wasdark out, it might have been a whole day. "Only a few minutes." Bianca said helping me onto my feet. A few minutes? That almost never happened, but also means I wasn't sitting on the floor for an hour, so yeah.

"Should we continue?" I asked, which was greeted by the most horrified expressions in the universe. "You just had a panic attack after ONE battle!" Cheren yelled. It was miracle that no one downstairs heard that. "Now you want another. Are you high?" I was astonished by this. Not by the fact that Cheren had called me a stoner, but the fact that I was so cool with this. Has this really been going on this long that I am just passing it off? Dang.

Still, I wanted to finish this. Even if I was going to fall on the floor when it was over, it was fun. It was the most fun I've had in a long time. Max was leaning against the bed spread with his eyes to the ceiling. No cares in the world, and yet really alert. "Hey Max." I said. "You ready to go." He gave me a quick glance and a smirk. "Sure, if you promise not to faint again." I almost laughed out loud. "I make no such promises." I said, struggling to keep the laughter in. Max was so interesting, I doubt I will ever figure out what he is thinking. "Bianca, you reff me and Cheren's match kay."

We set back up in the middle of the room. Cheren had been nice enough to heal up Max and Wilbur while I was unconscious. Even though technically we were equal, Cheren had the advantage. Dennis was a grass type, and even though he probably didn't have a move with a type advantage, there was always the possibility. Also, they had the privilege of viewing our match, so they knew our fighting style. We knew nothing about them, and those was at a disadvantage.

"The match between Cheren and his snivy Dennis, and Jack with his oshawott Max will now begin!"

"You don't have to be so formal, you know.."

"Shut up, Cheren. Begin!"

"Max, use tackle!" "Dennis, tackle."

Dennis was much faster than Max, so he quickly got the first blow. Max didn't let him go without a warning, grabbing onto his arm and throwing him across the room. Snivy hit the wall, hard, but quickly got back to his feet. They were planning to use speed to top our tactics. Hit first and hope the match is even enough to balance it out. Max had suffered a pretty good scratch on the side of his face, but Dennis had several. He just didn't have enough defense to support their plan. This was going to be a waiting war.

"Max, again!" "Dennis, you too!"

Again, Dennis was faster than Max and landed his attack first. This time he hit oshawott in the stomach, and if it weren't for the shell, that would have been a critical hit. Max grabbed the dumb snake by its head and whipped him into the bed spread. Dennis was taking a beating, but Max wasn't looking too hot either. They both fought like they had something to prove.

"Dennis, leer."

Leer? Why Would he change tactics like that all of a sudden? It would leave him with an opening. Max started getting a worried expression on his face and I was trying to figure out why. We were going to win, so why use leer? The move lowers the defence stat of your opponent leaving them open.

Oh, Arceus. Duh.

He wanted to finish this in one hit. By using leer he increases his chance of having the next move be a KO. We had to finish this right now! "Max, tackle once more." Max ran across the room and grabbed Dennis around the midsection, knocking him to the ground. As an added bonus he drove his elbow into the chest in the hopes of landing a critical hit. Dennis threw him off in frustration and got right on his feet.

"Damn." Max said. "What does it take to make you stay down?" God I wish I knew. Even though he was thin, he was durable. If his next attack was a crit, it was all going to be over. "Max, we gotta make this last one hit no matter what!" "Read you loud and clear." We couldn't afford any mistakes. This next one had to hit.

"Dennis!"

"Max!"

One hit.

Straight to the chest.

At the last second Cheren called for another leer. The idiot left his snivy wide open for an attack. Max hit him head on with no mercy. Instant knockout.

Cheren and Bianca both went home after that, and left me alone in my room with Max. I let him stay out of his ball for the night. I think a good night sleep in the open would be great after a long battle. Dude had a lot of power in him, as well as an observant eye. I think we are going to go far me and him. Maybe then I can figure out who caused IT.

I lay in my bed for a while and wondered about the fight. Why did fighting affect me the first time but not the second? What was it that set me off? The only thing I can think of was the fact that I started to remember. It seems whenever I start to think about all the good times I had back in Sinnoh, I just get dragged back to that one scene. It sucked, but at times it just seemed like something I had to deal with.

I laid in bed for what seemed like hours. Max had already fallen asleep on my feet. It was cute how he curled up into a little ball to nap. Kind of like a Purrloin I know, who was also at my feet. Those two were complete opposites, but at that moment they were completely the same. I wonder if that's why I kept having those flashbacks. Even though the location and people may change, it's just the same thing all over again.

My eyes were starting to close and my head went all fuzzy. Best not to stress about it tonight. In the morning I could stress all I like, but tonight, I sleep.

Oh.

Almost forgot to take off my arm. I had forgotten I even had it on. Another thing that was different but the same. Even though it wasn't my real arm, it still felt like it was. Just an extension of me that's gotten an upgrade of sorts. I took off the arm and set it up on the dresser. My eyes started to droop again. Hopefully tonight won't be as crazy as today.

" _He has some promise."_

" _That's Good."_

" _Maybe I'll visit him again tonight."_

" _See if he's learned."_

" _We don't have much time."_


End file.
